Resilient structureal beam



A ril 13, 1965 D. A. BROWN ETAL RESILIENT STRUCTURAL BEAM Filed April 11, 1963 INVENTORS. DONALD 4. BROWN BY Luc/av Q. DOWN/N6 J2.

4 TTOENEYi ,introduces most unconventional spacings.

United States Patent 3,177,620 RESILIENT STRUCTURAL BEAM Donald A. Brown, 2348 Wonneta Parkway, Westlalte, Ohio, and Lucien R. Downing, .112, 218 Yonder Blvd, Avon Lake, Ohio Filed Apr. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 272,303 6 Claims. (Cl. 50-302) This invention relates, as indicated, to an improved structural beam, and more particularly, to a resilient structural beam which is particularly useful in wall, ceiling, and floor structures where reduced sound transmission, or planar resilience, is a desirable objective.

Modern construction techniques utilize to a very large extent prefabricated wall, ceiling, and floor modules or units in the form of wall board or drywall, and plywood or pressed wood panels. These surface members are often supported on spaced studs, beams or joists, which form a mono-planar grid, or on a grid supported on a mono-planar substrate such as a brick wall, by direct fastening of one to the other by nails or screws, or other pinning means, and are parallel to opposite members in the adjacent units to form a conventional double wall. Inhabitants of adjacent units of such construction frequently find themselves variously affected by sound transmission through unit dividing walls, ceilings and/ or floors. Provision of sound adsorbing means including the interposition of resilient means between the respective wall, ceiling, or floor surfaces for reducing sound transmission has been suggested, and the present invention provides improved resilient means useful in the fabrication of unit dividing or enclosing members.

A difliculty with prior resilient structural beams or supporting members has been that substantially uniform resiliency has not been obtainable at each point along a given structural beam. This is important, for if, for reasons of construction necessity a rigid stud, for example should intersect a crossing resilient beam at a nonrnodular point where the resilience was low, or nonexistent, little purpose is served in providing more than the basic drywall-stud-drywall composite. Sound is transmitted with equal facility through either structure.

It has now been found that an improved structural beam can be constructed characterized in that it is not necessary to have the studs, joists or beams located at precise intervals, e.g. intervals of 4", or multiples thereof, such as 16" or 24" common in contemporary building practice. Very often it is found impractical to adhere to the niceties of four inch modules, and practice often Thus, a resil ient structural beam which accommodates these variations has particular advantage.

The present invention may be better understood by having reference to the annexed drawings showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the present invention which is to be understood as illustrative and not limitative of the broad scope hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a structural beam embodying this invention, and showing in dotted "lines a representation of the resiliency of the structure shown in one direction.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the beam shown in FIG. 1 on enlarged scale showing web-planes relatively displaced with respect to each other, and a configuration which lends itself to easy stacking or nesting of the beams, e.g.

, for storage, or packaging for shipment.

FIG. 3 shows in perspective a portion of a wall structure utilizing a mono-planar grid formed by vertical studs, horizontal thin metal furring strips embodying this invention, and a portion of a unit panel member, e.g. drywall, secured to the resilient furring strips.

Briefly stated, this invention is in the provision of an ice elongated structural beam comprising a composite Web having a pair of planar web portions, preferably disposed in parallel planes, and an intermediate resilient stepped portion integrally connecting said planar web portions. The intermediate stepped portion includes an intermediate planar web portion having longitudinal flange portions disposed along each of its marginal edges. The flange portions are integrally connected to the planar web portions along one marginal edge thereof. The intermediate planar web portion is secured to the flange portions at spaced intervals along the adjacent marginal edges respectively. The connections at one marginal edge are staggered relative to the connections along the other marginal edge, and in the preferred structure, these connections are continuations of the material of which the composite web is formed. The intermediate stepped portion resiliently flexibly coacts between the planar web portions through the integral connections to permit relative planar displacement of the planar web portions in a direction which is substantially normal to the respective planes.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, there is here shown in perspective a portion of a resilient structural beam generally indicated at 11 and comprising a composite web and having planar web portion 11 and planar web portion 12 which are preferably disposed in different, or displaced parallel planes. One of the marginal edges 13 of web portion 11 is displaced out of the plane of planar web portion 11 by bending at 14 to form a depending flange 15. Depending flange 15 contributes to rigidity of beam 10, and marginal edge 13 may serve as a stop to limit displacement of planar web portion 11 out of its normal position.

The free marginal edge 16 of planar web portion 12 is conveniently bent in a reverse direction along the line indicated by 17 to provide a flange 18 which contributes to the rigidity of the beam 10 and planar web portion 12.

Planar web portions 11 and 12 are joined together by an intermediate resilient stepped portion 19 integrally formed with web portions 11 and 12 and having a portion 21) thereof disposed in a plane which is preferably parallel to the plane of the planar web portions 11 and 12. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, intermediate planar web portion 20 is disposed in a parallel plane intermediate the planes of planar web portions 11 and 12. In order to achieve such disposition of intermediate, planar web portion 20, there are provided flange portion 21 depending from planar web portion 11 and flange portion 22 extending upwardly from planar web portion 12. The provision of flanges 15 and 21 on web portion 11 provides a channel-form Web portion, and similarly, flanges 22 and 13 on web 12 provide another channelform web portion.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the flanges 15, 21, 22 and 18 are formed by displacement of marginal portions out of the plane of the adjacent web portion. The respective channel-form web portions 11 and 12 are oppositely directed in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2. Instead of bending the flange portion to have a right angle relation with the plane from which they depend, it has been found convenient for nesting and packing purposes to provide an angular relationship which is greater than a right angle; i.e. the angle indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2 should be from about 5 to 12, for example 10. Where nesting is not a desired property of the finished product, the angle included by the arrows in FIG. 2 may be 0 or even the result of forming an acute angle of less than with the parent plane.

In order to obtain resiliency of the planar web portions 11 and 12 relative to each other and to response to force components acting substantially normal to the planes of planar web portions 11 and 12, there have been provided at the marginal edges 23 and 24 of the intermediate airman 0.75" long. Thus, the overlapping is 1.l25'-'.

are conveniently on2 centers. Upstanding flanges 22 "and 18 are conveniently about O.l25 Wide, and depending flanges and 2,1 are desirably 0.375 Wide.

The result ofthe provision 'of slits 25 .and 26 is Planar web portion 12 isalso conveniently provided with perforations 29, for example, at convenientintervals through which fastening means may be extended for securing structural beam member 10 to a rigid substrate or Planar web, portionll 4: a beam which is. adapted to be secured to a .planarsurface, or agrid lying in one plane and to have secured thereto a separate planar material in displaced parallel relation to the aforesaid surface orgrid, whereby relative move.-

rnent or displacement of the planesinresponse'to forces operation normally'to the respective planes ispermittecl' in a resilient fashion for the' purpose ofabsorbing such forces. Where such forces are generated by sound waves,

7 the result is reduction of sound transmission.

grid, such as a' series of spaced stud. members, such-as. wood studs 3% shown in FIG. 3.

providesan abutment's'urface for planar panel members" such as panel 31 in FIG. 3 which maybe any of the icommon'preformed building materials, such as plywood,

gypsum board, Wall board, drywall, or the like. Such panel Qr'nembers cut to predetermined sizesare secured to planar Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specificallyset forth above, changes'being made} as regards the details herein' disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or. the equivalent of such be employed.

i It is, therefore, particularly claimed as the invention;

web portion 11 by any suitable fastening means such as conventional self-tapping screws represented by 32 in FIG. 3. For most installations, structural beam 10 is currently available self-tappingfastening screwsr'nay be .used to secure the panel members 31 tov theweb p01:

tions 11. 1

'fo'r'med'by roll forming cold rolled steel of relatively thin; cross-sectional dimension having a thicknesso'f' about Withdmat'erial of this thickness, any of the 1. An elongated resilient structural beam comprising a composite web having .a pair of'planar web portions disposed in. parallel planes, an intermediate stepped portion including an intermediate planar-Web portion having longitudinal flange portions disposed along each of its marginal edges, said flanges being integrally connected to 'said'planarweb portionsalong one marginal edge thereof,

said intermediate planar webportion bein secured to ;"said flange portions fat spacedintervals along the adja- A wall section of the type above described is shown better in FIG. 3, and illustrates the use of structural "beams 10 as furring strips. I It will be observed that when a-wall section is so constructed, panel member 31 is able to move slightly out of its normal plane because of the provision of resilient means coasting between supporting web portion'll and web portion 1?. which is anchored securely to a rigid framework such as that-provided by 'Wood 2 x 4s or, for example, metal studs.

In forming the slits and 26, it has been found desirable to slightly expand the intermediate .web por-,

'tion 2t) by stretching the same. T his results in imparting to intermediate Web portion Ztl a slightly sinuous or wave form as shown'in FIG. 1. While suchexpansion in the plane of intermediate portion 20 is not essential to the operation of the beam as afresilient member, the 'resultling edges on the opposite sides of'each slit are prevented from interferring witheach otherv during flexure, Such cent marginal edges, respectively, the connections at one edge being staggered relative to the connections. at the other edge, said intermediate stepped portion resiliently flexibly coacting between said planar web portions through said integral connections to permit relative "displacement, of'saidplanar web portions normal to each'other.

i 2, An elongated resilient structural beam comprising a'composite web having a. pair of laterally displaced plananwebportions disposed in parallel. planes, an inter- "mediate steppedportion including 'an intermediate planar Web portion having longitudinal flange portions disposed ialong'each of its marginal edges, saidjflange's being integrally connected to said planar web portions along one marginal edge thereof, said intermediate planar .web portion being secured to said, flange. portions at spaced intervals along the adjacent marginal 'edges,.respectively, the connections at one edge being staggered relative to fthe'connectionsxatxthe Jother edge, said intermediate interference might impart undesirable noises to the completed wall structure and accordingly expansion of the slit in'th'e manner indicated is preferred.

It has also been found that best results are secured when the relative distance of overlapping of adjacent slits 25 and 26 is about /3 of the length of the slits "Thus,

the connecterportion 27, orZS, 'Will be about /3 of the length of a given slit. In a specific embodiment, where the width of planar webpo'rtion 11 'is approximately 1.375" and the Width planar Web portion 12 is about 0575", intermediate web portion. 2%) is conveniently Slit's 25 and 26 are desirably 3 long. The

0.25". connecter portion .27 and 28, for example is desirably Holes 29 While the foregoing resilient means 'has'been described in connection with a structuralbeam which is especially adapted for use as a furring strip, it'will'be understood adapted to have'secured thereto planar surface forming units such as plywoodor drywall, may also be formed to embody the resilient means here 'shown for impart- I ing relative resilience between wall surfaces, for example for the purpose of reducing sound transmission through the wall. Similar installations may be used inthe fabr'i-.

cation of ceilings and floors for the achievement of the same results. I There h'asthus been providedan improved structural stepped portion resiliently flexibly. coacting between said planar web portions through said integral connections to "permit relative displacement of 'said planarweb portions normal to each other. a t 3. An elongated resilient structural beam comprising acomposite Web having a pair of laterally displaced planar web portionsfldispo'sed, in parallel planes, an intermediate stepped portion including an intermediate planar "web lportion disposed in a planeparallel to said planes .65 that other structural'beams having spaced' parallel planes V of said planar web portions and'having longitudinal flange portions disposed along each of its marginal. edges, said :flanges integrally connected to said planar web portions along one marginal edge thereof,"said intermediateplanar web portion beingIsecur'ed to said flange portions, at 'spaced intervals along the adjacent marginal edges,- re-. 7

spectively, the connections atone edge being staggered relative to the connections at the other edge, said inter-- mediate stepped portion resiliently flexibly coacting between said planar web. ortionsithrough said integral conn'ectionsto permit relative displacement of said planar web'portions normal to each other. v a

4. An elongated resilient structural beam comprising a composite web having. .apair of planar Web portions disposed in parallel planespan intermediate stepped portion including an intermediate planar web portion having "longitudinal flange portions disposed. along each'of its marginal edges, said flanges integrally connected'to said planar weblportionsalon'g one marginal edge thereof,

said intermediate planarfweb portion being separated from .said flanges by spaced slits and integrally con- 7 'nected to 'saidflanges at spaced intervals, said slits and pointed out and distinctly t integral connections lying along the adjacent marginal edges, respectively, the connections at one edge being staggered relative to the connections at the other edge and said slits being in overlapping relation at said edges, respectively, said intermediate stepped portion resiliently flexibly coacting between said planar web portions through said integral connections to permit relative displacement of said planar web portions normal to each other.

5, An elongated structural beam in accordance with claim 4 in which the slits are expanded intermediate their extremities.

6. A resilient space dividing structure comprising:

(a) a planar surface forming unit,

([2) a mono-planar grid,

(0) a plurality of resilient furring strips disposed between said planar surface forming unit and said mono-planar grid, said furring strips being secured to said grid, and said planar surface forming unit being secured to said furring strips; each furring strip being an elongated structural beam having a first planar web portion adapted to be secured to said grid, and a second planar web portion disposed in a plane parallel to said first planar web and adapted to be secured to said planar surface forming unit, an intermediate stepped portion including an intermediate planar web portion having longitudinal flange portions disposed along each of its marginal edges, said flanges integrally connected to said planar Web portions along one marginal edge thereof, said intermediate planar web portion being secured to said flange portions at spaced intervals along the adjacent marginal edges, respectively, the connections of one edge being staggered relative to the connections at the other edge, said intermediate stepped portion resiliently flexibly coacting between said planar web portions through said integral connections to permit relative displacement of said planar web portions whereby said planar surface forming unit is resiliently movable relative to said mono-planar grid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,287,507 12/18 Stroebe 50--502 3,090,164 5/63 Nelsson 50303 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Examiner. 

6. A RESILIENT SPACE DIVIDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING: (A) A PLANAR SURFACE FORMING UNIT, (B) A MONO-PLANAR GRID, (C) A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT FURRING STRIPS DISPOSED BE TWEEN SAID PLANAR SURFACE FORMING UNIT AND SAID MONO-PLANAR GRID, SAID FURRING STRIPS BEING SECURED TO SAID GRID, AND SAID PLANAR SURFACE FORMING UNIT BEING SECURED TO SAID FURRING STRIPS; EACH FURRING STRIP BEING AN ELONGATED STRUCTURAL BEAM HAVING A FIRST PLANAR WEB PORTION ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SAID GRID, AND A SECOND PLANAR WEB PORTION DISPOSED IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PLANAR WEB AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SAID PLANAR SURFACE FORMING UNIT, AN INTERMEDIATE STEPPED PORTION INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE PLANAR WEB PORTION HAVING LONGITUDINAL FLANGE PORTIONS DISPOSED ALONG EACH OF ITS MARGINAL EDGES, SAID FLANGES INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO SAID PLANAR WEB PORTIONS ALONG ONE MARGINAL EDGE THEREOF, SAID INTERMEDIATE PLANAR WEB PORTION BEING SECURED TO SAID FLANGES PORTIONS AT SPACED INTERVALS ALONG THE ADJACENT MARGINAL EDGES, RESPECTIVELY, THE CONNECTIONS OF ONE EDGE BEING STAGGERED RELATIVE TO THE CONNECTIONS AT THE OTHER EDGE, SAID INTERMEDIATE STEPPED PORTION RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLY COACTING BETWEEN SAID PLANAR WEB PORTIONS THROUGH SAID INTEGRAL CONNECTIONS TO PERMIT RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PLANAR WEB PORTIONS WHEREBY SAID PLANAR SURFACE FORMING UNIT IS RESILIENTLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID MONO-PLANAR GRID. 